Fireplace screen with removable decorative trim members



R. E. WRIGHT Sept. 30, 1969 FIREPLACE SCREEN WITH REMOVABLE DECORATIVE TRIM MEMBERS Filed Dec. 28, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOAy I ROBERT E, WRIGHT I l// /J //d ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 30, 1969 R. E. WRIGHT 3,469,570

FIREPLACE SCREEN WITH REMOVABLE DECORATIVE TRIM MEMBERS Filed D60. 28. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet I:

FIG '7 INVENTORI ROBERT L'. WRIGHT BY @Www/ United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 126-202 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE A fireplace screen having .means for making various ornamental portions, including the valance piece across the top, lremovable so that Valances of different design and/0r finishes can be selected at will in the retail store. A pair of mounting lugs are provided on the valance for engagement in keyhole slots in a frame member of the screen. A locking tab is provided lwithin each of the key-hole slots to prevent the mounting lugs from accidentally becoming disengaged. The locking tab is positioned so that it does not interfere with the insertion and removal of the lug from the key-hole slot, but it prevents accidental removal thereof by blocking the mounting lug until it is maneuvered in the correct way to release it from the key-hole slot.

This invention relates to fireplace screens and it relates more particularly to means for detachably securing decorative pieces and parts to the frame of a fireplace screen so that any of various ornamental portions of the screen, or combinations thereof, may be selected to suit the taste of the customer when shopping for such an item.

A difiiculty of considerable proportions in the merchandising of fireplace furnishings, and especially of screens, is the tremendous inventory which the retail store must carry in order to provide its customers with a suitable selection, not only of different sizes and styles, but also of a multitude of different ornamentations and decorative designs, many of whi-ch are applied to the same basic structure. Heretofore, it has been practical for most stores to carry only one or two decorative styles, and the shopper therefore has had to go from store to store to find the styling that suited him. Only in the largest retail outlets specializing in fireplace screens and furnishings has it been possible for the shopper to have a reasonably wide selection of designs.

It is a general object of the present invention to make it feasible for a store to provide its customers with an almost unlimited selection of decorative trim for a fireplace screen without the need for carrying a large, costly inventory of such products.

One of the most popular and fastest selling type of fireplace screens today is the ywire-mesh drape type with chain-pulls for drawing curtain-like screens across the fireplace opening. These screens are constructed basically of a base member from which two upright lside members project with a top cross bar extending between the upper ends of the side members. The wire-mesh curtains are supported from the top cross bar, within which is provided the chain-pull mechanism for opening and closing the screen curtains. The screen as a whole is prevented from tipping forward or back by feet or legs, which engage the floor and which are usually fastened to the base member on both the front and back sides there-of.

'It is common practice to decorate the top -cross bar, the front faces of the base member, the side members and the front supporting feet, so that the screen is attractive and has a pleasing appearance to match the decor of the room in `which the fireplace is located. The probice lem has been in providing the customer with a wide selection of screens with different decorative designs.

The present invention solves this problem very nicely by making some or all of the decorative facing pieces or trim of the screen demountably attachable to the basic frame for the screen. These trim pieces can be of any desired finish and have a decorative design of an almost limitless variety. They can be packaged and stored easily, are not bulky and can be readily displayed in the store for the convenience of the customer. Since the same basic frame may be used, only enough frames need be kept in stock to meet the contemplated demand, which is fairly predictable. Thus, a customer can select a virtually custom-designed fireplace screen from the available trim pieces, including supporting feet, which are displayed in the store on a handy rack. The retailer on the other hand does not have to purchase and store a large quantity of screens and can supply customers with a vastly greater selection of different styles with a much smaller and less expensive inventory of screens.

A further and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a way of attaching the decorative pieces to the frame so that they can be readily mounted thereon and removed while the customer is deciding what trim he wants; yet once he has made his decision the trim pieces must be fastened securely enough so that they do not come off accidentally. Such attachment is most desirably quickly and easily made by those who are not particularly mechanically deft. At the same time it must not be flimsy and insecure.

The means for fastening the decorative pieces to the frame consists primarily of the familiar key-hole slot, through the enlarged portion of lwhich the head of a lug may pass so that when the lug is slid into the narrow portion of the slot its head can not be withdrawn from the slot. Such an attaching device alone, however, is not suitable for most purposes because the lug can be readily displaced in the slot to a position in which its head is aligned with the enlarged portion of the slot `Where the lug can then be inadvertently withdrawn through the slot, disconnecting the decorative piece to which the lug is fixed from the frame. Accordingly, a locking tab is formed in the enlarged portion of the keyhole slot which prevents the head of the lug from passing directly through the hole but which is so proportioned with respect to the thickness of the head of the lug that it allows the lug to be moved axially of itself until the inner edge of the head is clear of the inner surface of the frame in which the slot is formed, thereby permitting the lug to move into the narrow portion of the slot. After suicient movement of the lug into the slot such that the head is no longer in registry with the enlarged portion of the slot, the head escapes the locking tab in the slot so that the lug can .move axially further through the slot at the same time that it is being moved to the end of the narrow portion thereof. If the lug is moved back toward the enlarged portion of the slot without at the same time moving it axially as if to withdraw it from the slot, the head of the lug engages the locking tab which prevents it from becoming aligned with the enlarged end of the slot and from becoming dislodged. However, if the lug is purposely moved axially as if to withdraw it and then longitudinally of the slot, the head of the lug can slide far enough over the locking tab to position it in substantial alignment with the enlarged portion of the slot where it is free to be withdrawn from engagement with the slot.

This attaching means provides a simple, inexpensive and highly satisfactory Way of fastening not only the top, so-called valance panel for fireplace screens, but also other ornamental parts such as the base panel and feet, each of which may differ in design and shape and may have distinctive artistic characteristics.

Specific examples of how the invention may be carried out are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partially broken away, of a fireplace screen typifying the type of unit in which the invention may be employed to advantage;

FIG. 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the upper corner of the screen shown in FIG. 1, portions of the decorative valance piece being broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a detail view similar to FIG. 2 but of only the fastening means for the valance piece and illustrating how the valance piece is removed or replaced on the frame;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 2 and showing one of the keyhole slots in the frame by which the valance piece is fastened to the frame;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational View of the lower portion of the screen shown in FIG. l, illustrating how the supporting feet may be mounted in a similar manner as the valance piece; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of the portion of the screen shown in FIG. 6, with part of the supporting foot broken away.

A typical fireplace screen of the kind in which the present invention may be employed consists of a frame 10 which supports a pair of wire-mesh curtains 12, 12 that slide inward from an open position at each side of the frame and meet at the center when pulled closed by means of pull chains 14. The frame 10 has a base member 16, to which a pair of side uprights 18, 19 are rigidly fastened by suitable means (not shown). Ordinarily a top cross piece or decorative valance piece is rigidly secured to the upper ends of the uprights 18, 19 cornpleting the frame structure.

In the present case, however, a purely functional top cross bar 20 is bolted or otherwise fastened to the uprights 18, 19 in order to complete the rigid frame 10 of the screen, and a removable valance piece 22 is demountably fastened outside the cross bar so that it can be readily changed for Valances of different design or finish in accordance with the tastes of the customers. As will be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the uprights 18, 19, crossbar 20, and valance piece 22 may be made from suitable lengths of metal angle or channel members, and in this case the uprights are desirably finished on their outer surfaces with brass or other permanent decorative finishes. In order to provide a stronger and more rigid construction the cross bar 20 and valance piece 22 are formed with flanges 21 and 23, respectively, along the rear edges of their horizontal web or wall portions. The front panel 25, horizontal web 27 and rear flange 23 of the valance piece 22 encompass and hide from View, at least from the front and top, the corresponding sides of the cross bar 20. It will also be noted that the valance piece is confined to movement longitudinally of the cross bar by its panel 25 and flange 23.

In order to make the valance piece 22 readily removable yet securely enough fastened to the frame of the screen so that it can not drop off accidentally, .a fastener lug 24 is rigidly mounted in its horizontal web 27 near each end thereof. Each lug 24 has an enlarged head 26 which fits through the enlarged portion 28 of one of a pair of key-hole slots 30 in the horizontal web or wall 0f cross bar 20. Slots 30 are spaced the same distance apart as the lugs 24 so that the lugs can engage both slots simultaneously when the valance piece 22 is placed on cross bar 20.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shank of each lug 24 fits within the narrow portion 32 of each keyhole slot 30, but the head 26 of lug 24 does not. After the heads 26 of both lugs have been inserted through the enlarged portions 28 of slots 30, the valance piece can be shifted bodily parallel to cross bar 20 until lugs 24 are located at the end of the narrow portions 32. Thus positioned, the lugs 24 can not be Withdrawn outward through slots 30, and the valance piece 22 is therefore fastened to the frame so long as it is not moved longitudinally back to the position where the lug heads 26 align with the enlarged portions 28 of slots 30.

It Will be noted that key-hole slots 30 must be disposed with their narrow portions 32 extending in the same direction from the portions 28. Furthermore the lugs 24 must engage the ends of the narrow portions 32 of the keyhole slots when the ends of valance piece 22 align with the outer edges of the uprights 18, 19, so that the valance piece is centered on the frame 10 when assembled, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

While the fastener means for the removable valance as described so far is satisfactory if the screen is not carried or moved to any great extent, it may nevertheless permit the valance to slip off accidentally when the screen is transported unless some means is provided for preventing, or at least inhibiting, it from shifting back to the position at which the heads 26 of fastener lugs 24 align with the enlarged portions 28 of the key-hole slots. To this end, each of the key-hole slots is provided with a locking tab 34, which extends part way across the enlarged portion 28. Tab 34 may conveniently be formed at the same time that the slot 30 is punched out and in that event is an integral part of the cross bar 20, being bent downward so that its free end is offset below the lower surface of cross bar 20.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, locking tab 34 prevents the valance piece 22 from shifting lengthwise of cross bar 20 to a position where the heads 26 of lugs 24 align with the enlarged portion of key-hole slot 30 unless the valance piece is first lifted vertically to the position shown in FIG. 3. Thus, unless the valance piece 20 is lifted until the heads 26 of the lugs engage the under side of the cross bar 20 when shifted to the left as viewed in the drawings, they will engage the ends of tabs 34 and remain partially confined within the narrow slots 32, so that they can not be removed (see broken line position of lug head 26 in FIGS. 2 and 5). However, since heads 26 are spaced below the under side of cross bar 20, they can be lifted above the abutments formed by the ends of the locking tabs, permitting them to ride over the locking tabs 34 as shown in FIG. 3 when the valance piece is first lifted upward and then to the left as viewed in the drawings so that the heads 26 come into alignment with the enlarged portions 28 of key-hole slots 30. Thereupon the lugs 24 are free to be lifted out of the slots and the valance piece 22 can be removed.

It will be noted that the locking tab 34 must extend far enough across the enlarged portion 28 to prevent the head of lug 24 from aligning with the portion 28. At the same time, tab 34 must be bent or shaped so that when the lugs 24 are lifted above the end of tabs 34, they can be shifted out of retaining engagement with the narrow portions 32 of the slots. It will also be noted that both of the lugs 24 must be lifted simultaneously in order to shift the valance piece into the release position, because if either one engages the end of one of the locking lugs, neither can be moved into alignment with the enlarged portion of its key-hole slot. Consequently, only by manipulating the valance piece with some precision can it be disassembled from the frame. This ensures that the valance will remain attached to the frame at all times except when it is desired to remove it intentionally.

The relationship of the size of the head 26 of lug 24 to the size of the enlargement 28 in key-hole slot 30 and of the length and shape of locking tab 34 are important in ensuring against accidental removal of the valance from the assembly. lt is also important that the head 26 be spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the frame member in which the key-hole slot is formed so that the lug can be moved perpendicular to the frame member in order to free it from the locking tab for movement of the head into alignment with the enlarged opening of the slot. If desired, the heads 26 may extend below or inwardly of the end of the locking lugs as illustrated in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 6i and 7, so that when the lugs 24 are shifted back, before being moved outward, the heads 26 catch on tabs 34, thereby locking them in place. This latter arrangement has particular application in removably attaching pieces to the frame assembly along vertical surfaces thereof, as for example in attaching the outer feet 36, 36, which prevent the screen from tilting forward. In this case, the weight of the screen retains the lug 24 fixed to the back of each foot in locking engagement with the tab 34, which fits around the shank of lug 24 and in back of the head 26 as shown in FIG. 6. This provides a suiiiciently secure way of removably attaching the feet 36, 36 to the frame so that they can be readily changed as in the case of the valance piece 22. Adjustable supports 38 of conventional design are mounted on the back of the frame to prevent the unit from tilting backward so that it can stand alone. It will be apparent that other decorative portions of the screen, such as the base member 16 and side uprights 18, 19, can be provided with decorative facings which are demountable and interchangeably detachable by employing similar fastening means.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fireplace screen having a frame including a base member, a pair of side members each rigidly connected to opposite ends of said base member and ex tending upwardly therefrom, and a top cross-bar member fixed to the upper ends of said side members, the combination therewith comprising a decorative outer piece detachably mounted to at least one of said frame members and means for releasably fastening said decorative piece to such frame member, a lug fixed to said decorative piece, a key-hole shaped slot in at least one of said frame members, said lug having an enlarged head, said key-hole slot having an enlarged portion through which said head will pass and a narrow portion to receive said lug but through which said head will not pass, and a locking tab projecting inwardly of said enlarged portion from a point opposite said narrow portion, the inner end of said locking tab being offset perpendicularly of the plane of said slot in the direction through which said lug passes when it is inserted, whereby the head of said lug can be inserted through said enlarged portion of said key-hole slot and moved laterally into said narrow portion, said enlarged lug head being spaced a distance from the inner side of said member at least substantially equal to that of the end of said locking tab such that upon shifting said lug back toward said enlarged portion of said key-hole slot, the end of said lug engages said locking tab preventing accidental removal of said lug through said enlarged portion of said key-hole slot.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said decorative piece comprises an elongated valance piece superimposed along said top cross-bar member and encompassing the same along at least the front and top surfaces thereof and said fastening means comprises a pair of said lugs disposed at a predetermined distance apart along said valance piece, together with a pair of said key-hole slots correspondingly spaced along said cross-bar member for receiving said lugs, said narrow portions of said key-hole slots extending in the same direction from their respective enlarged portions, so that said lugs can be moved simultaneously with said valance piece as a unit laterally into the narrow portions of said key-hole slots.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said valance piece is formed with walls which at least partially encompass three sides of said top cross bar such that it can be shifted only longitudinally thereof when assembled thereon, said key-hole slots being disposed longitudinally of said cross bar with their enlarged and narrow portions aligned longitudinally of said cross bar.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, wherein the enlarged heads of said lugs are disposed for abutment with the ends of said locking tabs when said valance piece and lugs are fully engaged with said cross bar member and shifted longitudinally outwardly of the arrow portions of said key-hole slots, thereby blocking said heads from moving into alignment with said enlarged portions of said key-hole slots, said heads being spaced from the inner side of said cross bar member when thus fully engaged therewith such that said heads can be moved perpendicularly to said cross bar member in order to move them out of said abutting relation with said locking lugs so that said enlarged heads can be shifted into alignment with said enlarged portions of said key-hole slots.

5. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said decorative piece comprises a foot piece detachably mounted adjacent each point of connection of said side members and said base member, said enlarged head of said lug being spaced farther from the inner side of said member than the end of said locking tab such that said head may become trapped behind said locking tab upon shifting said lug back toward said enlarged portion of said key-hole slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/ 1965 Quittner 126-202 3/1968 Goudy 126-140 U.S. Cl. X.R. 126-140 

